Time Is Right for Niche Watchmakers

GENEVA—Philip Klingenberg, the chief executive of watchmaker Century Time Gems Ltd., uses a process patented by his father to insure that his timepieces stand out.

The process, developed by company founder Hans-Ulrich Klingenberg, creates artificial sapphires, each of which is used in the case of a Century watch. A handful of the timepieces can cost as much as 450,000 Swiss francs ($481,000).